"Mukhaarh" - Mask making workshop with children from the school of Dobo.

9th and 10th of April 2012

Across Subarnarekha, Doumahani, Sonari.

"Mukhaarh" means mask in native tongue in the Saraikela district. Erstwhile part of Orissa, Saraikela now falls under the state of Jharkhand. Mask making has been a tradition in Jharkhand for a very long time. Seraikela Chhou masks are very different to the Purulia Chhou masks in West Bengal, simpler and devoid of decorations. The Royal family of the Singh Deos of Saraikela have played a large role in the evolution of the Chhou dance tradition in Saraikela.

"...For several generations, members of the royal family apart from patronizing Chhau, also became Chhau dancers themselves. They played an active role in shaping and reshaping the art form, its repertoire, and the style and variety of masks used in performances. The long-term support of the royal family and the festival context of Chhau contributed to moulding the Seraikela style into its present distinctive form that includes sculptural and sustained or elongated movement and the clear-featured, relatively plain, simple but stylized mask."

Saraikela is a small town situated by the Kharkai, the same which flows onward to meet Subarnarekha at Doumahani, the focal point of this project. For some time I have spent most of my time in this region, now its time to go back a little way to know more about the life on that end of the river.

The aim of this  project was to learn more about the various traditions, history, communities and the cultures of Jamshedpur. Now that I have started looking closer, I feel I have hardly known my hometown I was so proud of. Each day I learn more, and I share it through various posts - in the hope that I am able to enlighten more people about my home and its people. What better way to pay tribute to the glories of this small town - that has so many untold stories. Jamshedpur - the Steel City - adds a touch of pride and "steel" but there is a different side to it. And each time I look at this other side, I cannot help but falling in love with my home town all over again....

I am in hope, each of us finds time to observe their locality more closely, and I am sure we will be surprised with our findings. We will be able to to grow to love and to care!